North Korea threatens war after a statement by South Korea that hints at invasion if there were ever a nuclear strike.

Febuary 2 - 4

Global
Zero Summit in Paris takes place.200
international political, military, spiritual, business, and civic leaders
attend in order to call for a world without nuclear
weapons.

Febuary 5

Russia announces a new military doctrine which reduces
the role of nuclear weapons.The new
doctrine avers the “right to use nuclear weapons in response to a use of
nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against her and (or) her allies,
and in a case of an aggression against her with conventional weapons that would
put in danger the very existence of the state.”Whereas in 2000, Russia permitted the use of nuclear weapons “in
situations critical for the national security of Russia,” now the doctrine
states that they may only be used when Russia is faced with an imminent
existential threat. While it is not a large departure from the old policy, the
new policy limits the role of nuclear weapons, and thus sets a new tone for
Russian security policy.

Febuary 19

Russia
claims that UN sanctions for Iran over uranium enrichment are possible.

Febuary 24

The Vermont Senate votes to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant when its original operating license expires in 2012. Officials from Entergy, the company that owns Vermont Yankee, had been lobbying for a 20-year extension to the plant that has been plagued with high-profile accidents.

March 26

A
torpedo--allegedly from a North Korean source--hit and sunk the South Korean
ship Cheonan, killing 46 sailors.South Korean President Lee vowed swift and harsh economic punishment,
while the DPRK stated it would respond with "all-out war."

March 30

It
is announced that Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri--after disappearing
almost a year prior--defected to the CIA.

March 30

G-8 leaders affirm support for the NPT.

April 6

The United States releases its 2010 Nuclear Posture Review, which will guide U.S. nuclear decisions for years to come.

April 7

The U.S. Government shifts policy on nuclear weapons, officially stating that the United States will no longer consider using nuclear weapons on a non-nuclear state as a strategic option.

April 8

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev sign the New START agreement to replace the expired Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty of 1991.

April 11 - 13

U.S. President Barack Obama hosts a Nuclear Security Summit with the heads of state from 47 nations. The summit focused mainly on the threat of nuclear terrorism and the need to secure loose nuclear material.

April 12 - 13

The
U.S. hosts the first Global Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C., in
which 49 world leaders participated.The
Summit concluded with the issuance of a Communiqué

which highlights concerns about nuclear
terrorism and the adoption of President Obama's plan to secure the world's
fissile material within four years.

April 12

Ukraine officials announce they will eliminate its
stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.

April 21

North Korea announces it will engage in any talks about nuclear weapons only on "equal footing" with other nuclear weapons states. This signals North Korea's belief that it should be treated as a nuclear power and should only be held to the standards expected of other nuclear powers.

May 3

American
officials, for the first time, release the number of nuclear weapons maintained
by the U.S.According to the report, the U.S. holds 5,113 nuclear warheads which
are actively deployed, in reserve, or in storage.

May 13

Secretary
of Defense Robert M. Gates publishes an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, in which he states
that New START, an arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia, has the
unanimous support of American military officials.

May 17

Turkey, Brazil, and Iran agree to a fuel swap program in an effort to end Iranian uranium enrichment. The Vienna Group (USA, Russia, France, IAEA) ultimately rejected the deal, citing lack of transparency and accountability.

May 23

The
United States deploys Patriot interceptors 70km from the Russian border.The Russians, who have always opposed any U.S.attempts at missile defense, immediately responded with a threat to place Iskander
missiles in Kaliningrad.

Britain
announces that it maintains 225 nuclear warheads, 160 of which are operational.

May 28

The
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review ends.All participating nations reached a
consensus, which they published in a final document. Highlights of this document include the five nuclear powers agreeing to
expedite disarmament as well as decrease the role of nuclear weapons in their
respective security policies, the agreement between all parties that the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) should be entered into force, and a call
for Israel’s accession to the NPT and relinquishment of all nuclear
weapons.Perhaps most notably, the final
document also calls for a weapons free zone in the Middle East.

May 31

The IAEA issues a report on the implementation of NPT safeguards in Iran.The group concludes that Iran is modestly
increasing low enriched uranium production at Natanz, and that no progress has
been made as to the intentions of Iranian nuclear activities.The IAEA also concluded that Iran lacks
adequate safeguards at enrichment plants.

June 2

Reports surface that India is expanding its uranium enrichment capacity at its Rare
Earth Minerals plant.

August 4

Fire breaks out at UK’s main Nuclear Trident weapons facility in Berkshire. The fire takes nine hours to extinguish, and residents of Berkshire are forced to evacuate the city.

The International Day against Nuclear Tests is observed each year on August 29. It was established on December 2, 2009 at the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly by the resolution 64/35, which was adopted unanimously.

August 30

Because of North Korea’s continued nuclear program, President Barack Obama signs an executive order that puts greater restrictions on North Korean finances.

Despite major cutbacks in nearly all sectors, the United Kingdom decides one sector that should not be cut is its budget for a nuclear arsenal.

October 21

Increased activity at a North Korea nuclear site leads American officials to announce that North Korea may be planning for a third nuclear test.

October 23

It is revealed that, during the Clinton Era, the nuclear launch codes were lost by the employee meant to carry the codes along with the President at all times.

November 8

It is revealed that two Armenian spies in Tblisi, Georgia nearly escaped with highly enriched uranium that was stored in a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Sources believe there was more uranium, but that it has yet to be found.

November 12

North Korea reveals to a visiting delegation that it has created a 2,000-centrifuge uranium enrichment facility. North Korea also confirms that it is capable of producing uranium hexaflouride, the necessary element for reprocessing and weaponizing.

November 23

North Korea attacks South Korea in one of the most violent border incidents since the end of the Korean War in 1953. The attack kills two soldiers and injures three civilians.

November 23

The Department of Energy releases a report, “Inspection of Allegations Relating to Irregularities in the Human Reliability Program and Alcohol Abuse within the Office of Secure Transportation”, which finds that federal agents designated to transport nuclear materials sometimes got drunk while on convoy missions.

November 28

Wikileaks, a government leak website, releases over 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables, many of which are related to nuclear programs in the United States and worldwide.

November 29

Two Iranian nuclear scientists experience similar accidents on the same day, with one of them dying in a motorcycle accident and another being attacked in his car. The Iranian government blames foreign intervention.

Russia announces that it has opened the world's first nuclear fuel bank. Nations, under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency, can store nuclear fuel for power plants at the bank safely.

December 7

Julian Assange, founder of the government leak website Wikileaks, threatens to release reams of documents concerning the United States nuclear arsenal should anything ever happen to him.

December 13

Five anti-nuclear protesters are convicted and face up to 10 years in prison after cutting fence at the Kitsap-Bangor Naval Base in the state of Washington.

December 22

The United States Senate ratifies the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which will reduce both US and Russian deployed strategic nuclear weapons to 1,550 each and deployed delivery vehicles to 700 each.

December 23

Three Swiss engineers are indicted for providing nuclear intelligence to Libya.

December 31

A judge in Austin, Texas prevents a bill allowing corporations to dump low-level toxic waste in West Texas.